


Unconditional Love

by MysticAssassin



Series: Natsume Week 2019 [4]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Family Feels, Family Secrets, Gen, The Fujiwaras will support Natsume no matter what, Tumblr: Natsume Week 2019, meaning of ravens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:31:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticAssassin/pseuds/MysticAssassin
Summary: Touko recalls the story her mother would tell her about the ravens. And she remembers the white raven Natsume saw, that she could not...Day 4- Secrets(These will be a series of drabbles that follow along the lives of everyone that has touched Natsume's life in some way.)





	Unconditional Love

**Author's Note:**

> I'm skipping ahead to day four, because for whatever reason, I just can't seem to get my thoughts in order for day three. It'll come at another time, but for now~♡

_ One for sorrow, _

_ Two for joy, _

_ Three for a girl, _

_ Four for a boy,  _

_ Five for silver, _

_ Six for gold, _

_ Seven for a secret, _

_ Never to be told. _

Touko watched as Natsume barreled down the staircase. She had tried to wake him earlier, but he seemed completely out of it. Exhausted. She didn’t have the heart to try waking him again. Instead she had allowed him the extra minutes of sleep.

He ran into the kitchen, and greeted both her and Shigeru. He practically shoveled breakfast into his mouth. Shigeru lowered his morning papers to stare at the sight. Touko giggled. As Natsume caught himself, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he tried to apologise. But Touko waved it off. Every time he acted freely, and more open around them, her heart elated. They were a family after all.

When he was done he sprung up from the table as if remembering he was in a rush. He called out to them that he would be back, and they wished him safety on the way out, Touko’s giggles following him out the door. When the door closed again, the married couple looked at each other. A somber look taking over Touko’s face.

“He’ll be back.” Shigeru spoke, putting his focus back to the news in front of him. But even his fingers held the pages a little tighter.

Touko gathered up the dishes to wash at the sink. Through the window, she saw her raven friend hopping along a tree branch.

“Are you two together today as well?”

When Touko was a child, her mother would tell her all sorts of stories. The one that stuck with her the most, was the one about the ravens.

_ “Touko-chan. Have you ever heard the story about the ravens?”  _

_ A young Touko looked up at her mother, eyes shining in wonder as well as confusion.” _

_ “No I haven’t. Oh, but sometimes, I hear that people call ravens bad.” _

_ Her mother chuckled. “That’s very common isn’t it. Raven’s are said to bring bad luck and misfortune.” Touko’s eyes widened. A bit frightened over the news. She would hear the calls of the ravens in the distance when she was out with her mother. Sometimes, she saw them too. She didn’t want bad things to happen. _

_ “But there are so many of them! How can we keep the bad things away?” _

_ Her mother chuckled once more. “Well, there is more to the story, dear. Not many people know, but ravens don’t only bring bad luck.” Touko was now fully drawn in. “When the number of raven increase, they can bring many things. Even wonderful things. Let me tell you a poem...” _

Her mother probably had not expected Touko to take the story so seriously, but as she grew, she could not help it. 

“One for sorrow,

Two for joy,”

Shigeru looked up at his wife. 

“Oh, sorry. I just can’t help but think about it. I must sound silly.”

Shigeru had once mentioned to his wife that the raven outside their window cawing at her and allowing her to rescue her clothes outside before they were soaking wet from the rain was pure coincidence. Maybe it was. But he couldn’t be so sure anymore. Not after she had told him about a special conversation she had had with Natsume. 

“ _ Shigeru-san. _ ” She had called in that sweet excited voice of hers. “ _ My raven friend isn’t lonely after all _ .”

From then he had heard the entire story. About her concern for her raven friend being alone. When Natsume had returned one day, Touko had pointed out the raven to him. Proudly proclaiming that they were friends. Natsume, who Shigeru considered as sweet and innocent as Touko sometimes, simply went along with it. Touko had said he had looked so happy seeing the raven. And that he had found its partner. A beautiful raven covered in white feathers. He had said it was his first time seeing an albino raven. The way he had looked, and described it, Touko wished that she could see it too. She didn’t. But from the bottom of her heart, she knew that Natsume did. Touko had recounted the poem of ravens to Shigeru. That for Natsume, maybe there was always an extra raven that others could not see. And that maybe it didn’t stop with birds.

Shigeru had tried to brush it off at first. Explain it away. But the more they saw Natsume show up at home covered in unexplained bruises, the harder it got to ignore. Suddenly both Touko and Shigeru had instances in their past to recount, and realise beyond a doubt that Natsume was even more special than they had initially thought. 

Shigeru had wanted to talk to Natsume, at first believing that he was being bullied by schoolmates or people around town. He’d known a girl in his past who’d gone through the same. But then Touko had told him other times that they were together, and Natsume’s attention was caught by things unexplained. And eventually, Shigeru had to admit the same.

That only escalated their worries. They were always concerned for him, for his safety, as any parent would be toward their child. And that was when they only had worldly things to be concerned about. Now, there was a whole other world that they couldn’t even fathom.

Touko had wept at the thought, as Shigeru comforted her. They’d wondered about what they could do, only to quickly realise that there wasn’t anything that they really could. Except wish for his safety, and warmly welcome him every time he came home. 

Soon after, they realised that Natsume wouldn’t want them to worry in that way. It was probably why he never told them. Not to keep them out, but to protect them. When Touko’s eyes had been red one day from weeping, Natsume had panicked. He had grown frantic and concerned- wondering what was wrong and if he could help. Somehow his worry had made her cry and laugh all the same. But she had felt better. Because he was still there. And she had felt bad for making him worry. 

Every day he came back to them, so maybe he had his own guardian angel watching over him. And she only prayed that they continued to do so. That really made the couple feel better, knowing there was someone who could protect Natsume in ways they couldn’t. And so they made sure to do the best in all the areas they could.

Natsume came home a little later that day. Tree leaves tangled in his hair. Nyankichi looked much the same, and quite fussy. 

Natsume appeared sheepish, as if he wanted to apologise for things beyond his control. And Touko couldn’t help it. She laughed. A sweet, melodious sound that washed over them as she gently plucked the leaves from Natsume’s hair.

“Welcome home, Takashi-kun!”

_ One for sorrow, _

_ Two for joy, _

_ Three for a girl, _

_ Four for a boy,  _

_ Five for silver, _

_ Six for gold, _

_ Seven for a secret, _

_ Never to be told. _

_ Eight for a wish, _

_ Nine for a kiss, _

_ Ten for a bird, _

_ You must not miss. _

**Author's Note:**

> I really am convinced that the Fujiwara's (especially Touko) already know Natsume's secret. At least to some extent. They're such A+ parents, I think they'd be supportive either way.


End file.
